Jay-Z, Kanye West Announce Watch The Throne Release Date, Tour

Throne watchers now have another date to focus on, this time an official one. It has finally been confirmed that on August 8, Jay-Z and Kanye West will release their highly anticipated joint LP, Watch the Throne, digitally
on iTunes. Compact disc lovers will be able to purchase physical copies a few days later on August 12.

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But when searching for the CD at local retail spots, fans shouldn’t look under “J” for Jay or “W” for West, but rather “T,” as the duo has officially christened their group the Throne.

Multiplatinum hip-hop supergroups cannot live by album sales alone, so on August 8 tickets for the Watch the Throne tour will also go on sale to the general public. The 24-date Live Nation-produced run will begin in Detroit on September 22 and wrap up on November 3 in Boston. Performing songs from the Throne album, as well as solo cuts from their respective catalogs, the duo will stop for two dates in Kanye’s hometown of Chicago, but none in Jay’s native New York. Instead the tour will hit the nearby East Rutherford, New Jersey, Izod Center on September 27 and 28.

Starting July 28, fans who visit the Live Nation website will have access to pre-sale tickets; the next day, July 29, Citi Card members will get their chance to snatch up early seats.

A press release sent out by Hov’s camp also confirms an official 12-song track list, with four bonus tracks slated for the LP’s deluxe version. RZA, the Neptunes and Kanye himself all contribute to the production side of things, while Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and Mr Hudson make guest appearances. There is a sampled posthumous performance from 1960s soul singer Otis Redding on the aptly titled “Otis.”

The previously released “H.A.M.” doesn’t appear on the album proper but instead is earmarked as a Watch the Throne bonus on the deluxe version.